How To Stock Your Pantry…the (elevated) Home Chef Way

Earlier this month, I shared my Dinner Party Decor Arsenal (and wish list!) with everything from the best taper candles to the most fun cocktail napkins, so this week, it’s time to stock the pantry. A well stocked pantry is to a Michelin-star chef (or an aspiring home cook) what a good set of paints is to an artist. Once you have the essentials, you can mix, match, and blend them to perfection. And once you have the basic formula down…then you get to play. Whether you’re whipping up a last minute charcuterie board to share with friends or recipe testing your next great dish, below I’ve linked my favorite brands of the 100 ingredients, condiments, drinks, and other bits that I make sure to keep in my pantry—

Seasonings

Fish Sauce, Soy Sauce, Tamari, Hoisin, Gochujang, Truffle Oil, Miso Paste, Yuzu Ponzu, Tamarind Paste, a really good EVOO, Kombu, Dried Mushrooms, Calabrian Chili, Van Van dehydrated aromatics (I will make a whole video on how I use these because they are life changing!), Molasses.

Spices

Harissa, Za’atar, Sumac, Garam Masala, Sesame Seeds, Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, Adobo, Almond Extract, Peppercorns (all the colors—if you’re in the NYC area, Madison Fare on the UES has beautiful brined green peppercorns), Cardamom Pods, Smoked Sea Salt, Fleur de Sel, Galangal, Saffron, Herbs de Provence, Jerk Seasoning, Lavender.

Claire Crenshaw, the chef behind Oui C’est Tout events, swears by the Kalustyan’s mushroom powder. “In a late night fried rice, last minute stir fry or any kind of marinade, it adds the perfect amount of umami and makes you feel a touch better about not having a meal actually planned out.”

Condiments

Chili Crisp, Marmite, BBQ Sauce, Lemon Curd, Assorted Mustards, Maple Syrup, Agave, Honey, Capers, Bonito flakes, Tahini, Nut Butters, Jams, Marmalades, Creme de Marrons, Balsamic Glaze, Breadcrumbs, Furikake, Horseradish, Wasabi, Worcestershire Sauce, Truffle Mayo, Smoked Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Hot Sauce.

Erin Hill, an amazing baker (check out her works of cake art here!), forager, and all around brilliant culinary mind always makes sure to have XO sauce on hand for a bit of umami flavor to punch up any dish.

Lily Moe, mind behind The Home Cook Association, a Brooklyn-based cookbook club, swears by the Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha. It’s hot, but not so spicy that you don’t taste the complex flavors!

Drinks

Hibiscus, Flavored Sirop, Ghia Le Fizz, Chai, Simple Syrup, Matcha, Saffron Tea, Hot Cocoa, Tea, Mulling spices.

Snacks & Canned Goods

Olives, Sundried Tomatoes, Artichoke Hearts, Tinned Fish, Kimchi, Pepperoncini, Cornichons, Chocolate chips, Dried fruits, Coconut milk, Evaporated milk, Condensed milk, Tomato Paste, Crushed Tomatoes, Bouillon, Preserved Lemons, Anchovies, Beans, Chickpeas, Rices, Farro, Quinoa, Couscous, Pate, Pickles, Orzo, Pastas, Noodles, Agar Agar, Gelatin, Yeast, Espresso Powder.

Graham Litten, home chef extraordinare and one third of the trio behind East Village’s buzziest trivia night, has been gravitating towards homemade condiments more and more these days. Every year his [soon to be] father in law (exciting!!) makes a batch of pickled diablo peppers that he finds himself using all the time.

Mad Science: Should your fry batter get a “Jungle Juice” makeover?

If you want to start a fight amongst chefs, tell them that you know the best way to scramble eggs, that your Nonna’s bolognese is better than theirs, or that there is a single way to make the “perfect dredge.” Some say flour and water. Others swear by milk, cornstarch, baking powder, or eggs. Kenji Lopez-Alt decided to settle the fight and put every iteration to the test. The one that I didn't believe, however, was that making your dredge with sparkling water, or even vodka (?!), would make the batter imperceptibly light and crispy—so much so that the Fried Factor™ of the food doesn’t take over the flavor. 

I had to put it to the test, so I took to the market—

I’ve always loved the concept of squash blossoms, but never experimented with them myself. $12 for 10 flavorless blooms? Why? But last week, reluctant to wait in the berries queue, I splurged. “Girl math” meant that I had made money 6 minutes ago by not buying the blackberries, so the cash was burning a hole in my pocket. 

I took them home and proceeded to pipe and stuff; gently peeling the petals apart to pack them with an improvised concoction of ricotta and bright flavors. Careful not to over-mix my dredge (war flashbacks of clumpy box mix pancakes be damned), I noticed that the sparkling water created small bubbles in the mixture, keeping it visibly aerated. Allegedly, a splash of vodka does the same to keep a batter light, but I was intrigued by my fizzy concoction.

Some like it HOT…this batter doesn’t

One thing to be cautious of is the fact that your oil temperature will have to change to accommodate the lighter batter. Rather than waiting for your fry oil to get ripping hot, with this batter, you’ll get your optimal fry around 350º F (177º C).

This is not the time to lay it on thick

Unlike the heavy flour, baking soda, salt, milk, water, and sometimes beer, concoction that you accost fish with before sending it swimming in your Base Oil Bath, to get a light crisp that doesn’t take over the star’s flavor, you’ll have to ensure a light coat. The role of any batter is to keep the oil from coming in direct contact with whatever is beneath the dredge. Like with insulation, the batter becomes the filter through which the heat and energy are transferred, making the conditions more even and gentle. Make sure to let all excess batter drip off before it hits the oil. 

If using vodka

To use one of the three scientific terms that I remember other than that “the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell”—vodka changes the “volatility” of your batter, whereas milk or water (sparkling or otherwise) do not. This means that when you go to deep fry (a reaction that causes the liquid in the batter to vaporize and dehydrate) the vodka catalyzes the whole process to make it happen more quickly and aggressively. The result is larger bubbles on your subject, so more surface area to crisp.

ICYMI, my name’s Saanya Ali and I’m the founder of SOIRÉE, a platform, newsletter, and social community dedicated to reviving the “lost art of entertaining” and making food, and the culture around it, FUN…as it should be. I love to learn food, love food, love food lovers, explore the connections that sharing that love can bring, and host a lot of dinner parties. Each week, the SOIRÉE x Pepper newsletter will explore basic home cooking tips, hosting how to’s, food history and science deep dives, and share some of our favorite recipes, picks to shop, and invitations. I’m so happy you’re here :)

History 101: What does the CIA have to do with hot sauce production?

Two things that I never expected to read in the same sentence? Hot sauce and the Central Intelligence Agency. But, as it turns out, in the 1970’s, in an effort to up the potency of classic tear gas, scientists experimented with with assorted chili peppers to deduce which varietal had the strongest capsaicin— “the compound that gives peppers their heat and spiciness.”

After extensive research, the CIA found that Thai chili peppers were some of the spiciest in the world. Inspired by this research, David Tran, a Vietnamese-American refugee, realized that he could take those findings and his knowledge of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine and create a sauce that would be the “hottest” on the market. By the 1980’s he had created, bottled, and begun selling his creation under the name, Sriracha, with the Huy Fong Foods brand. The sauce has since become one of the most popular in the country and has a cult following all across the globe.

See you next week!

Xx,

Saanya